(Disentis) - not my day :-(

 

A promising fcst (good thermals, little wind, very small chance of OD) had made me travel to Disentis (from Castrisch, where I had parked my car, by train to Disentis). Here, this week 'Disentis Open 2023' was held. I also met Marlies and PeterN, as well as Hampi (who participated in the comp). By cable car and chair lift we got to the launch at Gendusas. A 20min hike (for me) got us to the TO above the competition launch (pix above).

pilots prepairing at the comp launch

After about 5 (!!) failed attempts at launching (short launch, wind slightly cross) I was completely drenched in sweat and exhausted - so I decided to pack up and walk down to the chairlift station :-((

PeterN on the other hand had a clean launch....

Many thanks to Marlies and PeterN for their assistance on launch, helping me get down as well as driving me to the train station!

Ebenalp - LeelooT mit Andrea

 

Last Monday the LeelooT has arrived; today Andrea and I made the first flights at Ebenalp  :-))

looking West towards Ebenalp

We could make 2 flights: the first one just an extended sledder, as the sky still had been a bit too cloudy. For the second flight we headed straight for Alp Sigel, but arriving rather low. So it took us quite a while until we could climb above the ridge. Later we attempted to cross to Hoher Kasten; unfortunately we arrived a bit too low to be able to climb up again and return to Wasserauen for landing. Instead we had to land at Brülisau and then by bus/ train back to Wasserauen.

Most of the time Andrea has been flying (also TO and Ldg); I flew for a while but with the current brake position, I have not been able to completely release the left brake, so we always had some brake input there. As I'm giving the wing to Andrea anyway, there was no need to adapt anything for me; she'll need to lenghten the brakes a bit in order to feel comfortable...

Brake position in flight

Something to think about for for long-time pilots ;-)

 

LeelooT - first flight by Michael & Gudrun

At the end of July, 'my' LeelooT finally made his maiden flight at Levico (in between 2 thunderstorms)...

By now the wing should by on its way to Switzerland - just a question of time before Andrea and I can make a flight ;-)

Arosa - for once: 'Freud'horn; not the usual 'Scheiss'horn ;-)

 

For once, conditions for launching on Weisshorn have been exceptionally good: wind perfect on the nose, not too weak, nor too strong - simply perfect. I can't remember similar nice conditions in summer on this launch (and I have about 650 launches from this mountain).

Arosa: Obersee

Maran / Golf course

Medergen

Pano looking South towards Engadin/ Bernina

Strong climbs (up to 8m/s) have taken me to just over 3000m; Even though the winds at 3000m had been forecasted to be over 20kmh, the actual speed have been well below. I landed after just a bit over an hour; winds on landing (at Isla) have been around 15-20kmh.

Hüsliberg (Schänis) (rev)

Today's options: Jura (Weissenstein) or Hüsliberg. Andy and I decided to 'stay close' and went to Schänis., arriving just in time for the 1pm shuttle. Last time I've flown here: 27.7.1997 ;-) At that time the performance of the gliders often didn't permit nice flights and launching from the higher launches (like Steinegg) has been forbidden (Wildschutz) - so this launch kind of vanished from my 'radar'. Thanks Andy for the suggestion!

Unfortunately no in-flight pix from my X3 - I must have made an error, as the camera didn't save any of the in-flight movies :-(

ein erster Versuch ein Video aus den X3-Aufnahmen zu machen....

Pano looking West: oberer Zürichsee

Conditions have been really nice: easy/ strong thermals, not too much wind, great views - everything just perfect :-)) I flew for 2h20'

LZ 'Rufi'

nearby gliderport 'Schänis'

Weissenstein (Jura) - first tries with the Insta360 X3

Short trip to Weissenstein for the first tries with the Insta360 X3. Good/ excellent conditions, strong at times (+8 m/s) and more windy than I had anticipated ;-) I also felt that I have not flown much since my return from Japan 6 weeks ago - at least not in such conditions...

Pano looking East: launch (Weissenstein) on left (pix not by X3)

LZ in Oberdorf (SO) - to the left of the farm building

The Insta360 X3 seems to offer such an amazing variety of options/ possibilities; but I'm not starting to make any videos, just taking some pictures out of the recordings I have made during the flight...
 

LeelooT - unfortunately even more delayed :-)

LeelooT

(T=Tandem)  But it's not for me, the wing will go to Andrea, a friend of mine and my flight instructor in 1988. But I'll surely get a chance to make some flights; either with her or with Andy (as I still hold a restricted tandem license - where the 'passenger' has to be a licensed pilot). The wing will only be DHV-certified and go into regular production, once Michael has received has 18 definite orders. But as in Switzerland there is no such requirement, this particular wing should arrive here within the next 2-3- weeks...

 >>  Video

20.6. Michael has informed me that -due to problems with the laser cutting- delivery of this LeelooT is delayed until mid-July...

30.6. Call from Michael: big problems with the laser cutter: it will take at least another 4 weeks before 'my' LeelooT is ready. He also told me that by now he has enough firm commitments for the LeelooT, so he's also producing a wing for the DHV-tests. I'm glad to hear that so many pilots are interested in this wing (good for Profly!); especially in view of the fact (as he told me) the numbers of paragliders sold in Q1 of 2023 have dropped by 70% (?!) compared to Q1 2022. Luckily (so far at least) Profly does not seem to be affected by this trend.

Anyway, recently I have been wondering at the incredible number of new paragliders (especially 2-liners in C-class) appearing on the market. But with this lousy/ inconsistent wx we've had in the last few weeks (permitting very little flying), nobody is tempted to test and buy a new glider.

X-Alps: 13.6. - Arosa -M.Pinot (FRA1) und weitere

For this time of the day (1000) I think M.Pinot has chosen a rather 'daring' line: finding lift at Golf/ Prätschli and then again in the Urdental! It looks as it would have paid off - at least for the moment ;-)

During the course of the day some more pilots have passed Arosa, the last one (GER2) around 1700...

X-Alps 2023

 Just in case you've missed it: redbullxalps is starting today (11.6.23) at 1130...

;-)

Grand'Rue 48, 1454 - L'Auberson

 

Galgenen

In 35 years of flying, today has been only the 7th flight here in Galgenen :-( but also the longest and furthest. The longer the day, the better conditions became :-)

launch 'Gschwänd'

Pano looking NE (Churfirsten, Walensee)

Pano looking N: Lachen (SZ), Obersee

Thanks to Steph for the company!

Weissenstein (Jura) with PeterW.

Daytrip by train (Fehraltorf - ZRH HB - Solothurn - Oberdorf) to Weissenstein with a promising fcst / RegTherm.

At the beginning of the flight I've had some problems climbing above 1200m. In the lower airlayers the East-wind (Bise) was stronger than predicted and sometimes while circling ground speed fell to 0kmh. For a moment I have been even thinking of landing... Once breaking through 1500m and above the ridges it became much easier...

Pano looking West

When I was about to pass Courtelary clouds started to get 'darker'. Turning back towards launch probably would have been possible flying very (!) close to cloud base, but down lower the NE-wind was too strong, so I landed at Courgémont. Meanwhile PeterW had also landed (near Tavannes). Approaching my landing field I have 'touched' the edge of the AD zone of Courtelary :-)

Corgémont looking West

As I was walking to the nearby train station of Corgémont, a car stopped and invited my to take me to Biel/ Bienne (main station); it turned out that the driver was also a PG pilot - many thanks! Peter has arrived at the same time by train.

Back home (same way by train), arriving at 1645 :-)

Scuol (1.6.) / (6.6)

1.6. promising fcst...

webcam at 0715, when I departed home...

...and that's what it looked like upon my arrival at 1100.

According to XCtherm it should have been 'pretty good' until about 13z (burnair.map showed about the same). But already when I arrived on launch at Motta Naluns shortly before 09z much more clouds had been present.

So I flew for about 1/2 hour, then landed at Scuol - just 'a little' disappointed about the 'wrong fcst'/ my (mis)interpretation of the fcst. But others have fallen also into the same 'trap'...

2.6. 'slightly' frustrated when I look at today's webcam pix and the fcst...

Webcam at 1655 - still little clouds, no OD...

On XContest there is a really cool flight from Motta Naluns to Fiesch.

6.6. another attempt, but (again) too much humidity :-(

As long as there has been sunshine, thermals have been active, but as soon as the sun was blocked by clouds: 'game over'...

...apparently conditions improved 2 hours later - but I'm not really well know for having so much patience ;-)